Opposed Va. Leaders without Alternate Plans for Outer Beltway Dubbed ‘Cowards’

Residents & Elected Officials Oppose Highway Project 

WOODBRIDGE, Va. — A decision whether or not to endorse an outer beltway in Prince William County will have to wait.

County leaders Tuesday deferred endorsing a list of projects for a six-year roadway construction plan which will ultimately be presented to the Commonwealth Transportation Board in Richmond. On the list is the “North-South Corridor of statewide significance,” also known as the Tri, or Bi-County Parkway, and known to others as a proposed outer beltway.

However they referred to it, opposition to the road continues to mount in Prince William, and so have complaints from residents who say they’ve been in the dark about plans for what would be a 45-mile road linking Interstate 95 in Dumfries to Va. 7 in Loudoun County. Opponents fear the road will spur economic development in Loudoun, not Prince William, will force the closure of small streets near Manassas National Battlefield, and lead to urban sprawl in the protected Rural Crescent.

“There’s been a lot of misinformation about this parkway,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart to a line of speakers urging the outer beltway be removed from the list of county-endorsed projects.

Stewart maintains the road will be built one way or another because the region’s population continues to grow. But to those who lined up in front of him Tuesday afternoon, he urged them to contact their state legislators instead.

“The place to stop the road is in Richmond with your State Delegates and your State Senators. You can talk to us all day long about the road, and that’s fine… but it’s a state-designed road, funded with state dollars… there’s no county money in this road,” said Stewart.

The proposed highway would transform Va. 234 from Dumfries to Interstate 66 to a limited access highway, then extend it through a portion of Manassas National Battlefield Park, through Loudoun County and ultimately connecting with Dulles International Airport and then on to Va. 7. The highway would make for a faster connection to the airport for drivers looking to catch a flight and for freight haulers carrying cargo from the airport – a major commerce hub for the state.

The residents who live on and around Pageland Lane in Prince William County, near Manassas Battlefield, have been the most vocal opponents to the highway so far. A portion of their street would close under the current highway plan, and so would portions of Va. 234 Business and U.S. 29 that run inside the battlefield park.

“You say that there is a lot of misinformation. Why is there so much misinformation? Why are we asking the questions? Why are we here talking about something that we think we can change if you say we can’t change it,” asked Shannon Gunn, who lives in Bristow.

Others who commented referred to a press conference held late last month where GOP legislators joined in opposition of an outer beltway. Residents also said they’ve heard little from the Virginia Department of Transportation about what would be a landscape-altering project.

“If you think as citizens we are uninformed or just don’t understand the rationale for this project, you’re right. Public involvement has been minimal and highly orchestrated by the proponents [of the project],” said Barry Kline.

More than just residents, Delegate Bob Marshall, R – Manassas, also spoke at Tuesday’s meeting, and warned Prince William residents of increased truck traffic if the highway is built, not only near Manassas but also in the Coles and Potomac districts and at Dumfries.

“This “North-South outer beltway” was missing from December publications from VDOT. Last year, the publication did not specify the names of any roads affected, communities or postal areas that would be affected or that were mass presented to the public. You’ve got public assimilation, not public information,” said Marhsall.

The Delegate urged for improvements along I-66 and Va. 28, especially where the two roads meet in Fairfax County, as an alternative to building an outer beltway.

After Marshall left the podium, Stewart disappeared from view. When he came back nearly an hour later, he said state legislators should answer more questions about the proposed project and not leave locally elected officials twisting in the wind.

“…they want us to save them from themselves. It’s a state road, and, no offense, frankly, we need better representation at the state level and we’re not getting it right now… in both parties,” said Stewart.

Still licking political wounds from last weekend’s Republican Convention in which he lost his bid for Lt. Governor to Bishop E.W. Jackson, of Chesapeake, in what almost seemed like a campaign speech, Stewart reminded residents about a $800 million transportation bill that could mean higher taxes for those living in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads. He also urged residents to question politicians  about why the Tri-County Parkway – a highway proposed in the early 2000s that was to traverse Prince William, Loudoun, and Fairfax counties — was defeated by some of the the same Republicans who now oppose this road project, said Stewart.

“Every one of those elected representatives from the state who is opposed to the road, and are not offering an alternative, is a coward,” said Stewart.

A public hearing on the proposed highway is scheduled on Monday, June 3, at the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Manassas. A presentation will begin at 7 p.m. followed by a question and answer session where those who sign up to speak will be given two minutes each to make their case for or against the road.

Supervisors will once again take up their list of preferred road projects — which includes widening I-66 between U.S. 29 and U.S. 15, widening U.S. 1 in  Woodbridge, and building a parking garage at a new Potomac Nationals baseball stadium planned to open in 2015 —  until after a meeting of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, and the Commonwealth Transportation Board next month.